Athens Conservancy and Passion Works Studio have teamed up to create a colorful new Art Trail just outside of Athens. The trail opens June 5 with a celebration for the public, along with the other community partners Live Healthy Appalachia and the Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery. The Art Trail, featuring whimsical nature-inspired trail markers created by Passion Works artists, is designed to combine art and nature, and to encourage people to explore the natural world. The endeavor is funded by a grant from the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio.
“We are thrilled to open the Art Trail to help connect individuals and families to the joys of art and nature around us,” said Christine Fahl, president of the board of Athens Conservancy. “The shared initiative focuses on the value of being active outdoors, breathing in the fresh air, and experiencing our precious natural world.”
The Mary Beth Art Trail will host an open house from 2 pm to 4 pm on Sunday, June 5, at the Mary Beth Zak Lohse Preserve, with self-guided tours of the cheerful trail, activities, trail snacks, and information from the Conservancy and its community partners. The preserve is located about 2 miles west of Strouds Run State Park on Strouds Run Road. Parking is limited.
As part of the endeavor, a new, permanent kiosk at the preserve houses trail maps and materials that focus on nature-based activities, and on the benefits of time spent outdoors.
A short walking trail leads to the Art Trail, created around a small pond, where 10 artist-designed trail markers feature native plants and animals – including an owl and bobcat, salamander and cicada, wildflowers and dragonflies. Visitors of all ages will enjoy walking the trail and looking for the wildlife images woven into the colorful artwork. The short trail leading to the pond is fairly steep.
“Appalachian Ohio is rich in so many things, including our amazing natural spaces and beautiful forests and woods,” explained Fahl. “We’re also known for our creative spirit. This project is a unique and purposeful way to combine these two resources that Southeastern Ohio is known for – nature and art – and we couldn’t be happier to work with community partners on this initiative.”
Artwork
The artwork was created as a nearly 5-foot wide original acrylic painting made by nine artists at Passion Works Studio. According 
to Nancy Epling, artist-in-residence, “Our artists are proud of their art and the fact that it is being shared in the community, not just inside the studio. We chose the native flora and fauna of Athens County because it made sense due to the location of the trail. We also thought it would be a nice ode to Mary Beth Zak Lohse (for whom the preserve is named) to include some of her favorite wildflowers from Athens area.”
Once the painting was completed, a high-resolution image of the huge artwork was split into 10 pieces, each featuring a native plant or animal. The 10 pieces were turned into 18 x 12-inch trail signs, and installed around the small Gillett Pond at the preserve. Brilliantly composed by the artists on a bright pink-and-purple background, the Art Trail markers will provide a pop of color along the trail in all seasons.
The Partners
Passion Works Studio (see the artists who worked on the painting, below) inspires and liberates the human spirit through the arts. It invites makers, with and without developmental 
differences, to work and thrive within partnerships, celebrating the power of creativity through connection, purpose, and belonging.
Live Healthy Appalachia strives to promote healthy eating and active living through educational programs and community partnerships. LHA created seasonal, wellness-related posters for the kiosk, and will host a fun rock-painting activity, as well as offering healthy trail snacks at the event.
Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery inspires confidence in people of all ages to explore and discover the world through playful interactive programs and exhibits. The museum developed take-home pamphlets with child and family-centered explorations to enjoy along the trail, with a focus on place-based learning throughout the seasons. An associated online presence extends visitors’ experiences with activities to do at home.
Library “Sister Art Trail”
Another community collaboration will expand the visibility of the Art Trail with a “sister trail” to be temporarily installed in two Athens County Public Library branches – the Athens and Nelsonville branches. Colorful, posters featuring the artwork of the Art Trail trail-markers will be displayed inside the libraries in June. All Athens-area branches will have a supply of bookmarks available featuring the nature-inspired artwork.
The Mary Beth Preserve
The Mary Beth Zak Lohse Preserve is a 283-acre preserve nestled up against Strouds Run State Park and Riddle State Nature Preserve. Named in memory of Mary Beth Zak Lohse, a local friend of the environment, the preserve features a forest canopy and large trees; valleys, bluffs and ridges; and a peaceful pond.
The land was once the farm of Orrin Gillett, a son of one of the early settlers in the Strouds Run watershed. The Mary Beth Preserve includes the site of the Gillett family home, their still-standing springhouse, a Civil War-era family cemetery, and the pond, which was excavated in the 1930s.
Athens Conservancy
Athens Conservancy is a nonprofit land trust that strives to protect special spaces and wild places for people to explore and enjoy, maintain healthy ecosystems, preserve water quality, protect biodiversity and nurture natural habitats. The Conservancy’s lands in Athens County and surrounding areas are comprised of 13 nature preserves that are home to a wide range of creatures, from luna moths and box turtles to foxes and deer, fish and salamanders, bobcats and a bevy of bird species.
The lands in Athens Conservancy’s preserves and conservation easements encompass nearly 2,900 acres with almost 1,800 acres open to the public to explore. The Conservancy has partnered with the city and county to protect more than 300 additional acres of public land.
